Friction
by Talon C
Summary: June Arc trained hard to be a great Huntress. She got training from both her parents, the support of sisters and few friends, and with an immensely powerful Semblance to boot. If only she could get rid of this accursed anxiety!
1. Iridescent

If one were to take in their surroundings inside a large metal aircraft heading its way towards Beacon Academy, they would obviously find the place filled to the brim with student hopefuls, hopeful that they would fulfill their dreams and desires by such a prestigious place.

Many sought to change the world and all for the better, like one shorter girl in a red cloak. Many more were thrill seekers, like the older blonde hugging the shorter girl in the red cloak. Many more were there merely to claim the prestige of being a Beacon graduate, like one man with orange-cropped hair, silver armor and carried a rather cocky smirk as if he were the greatest thing since Aura.

However, there was one person on board that was attending for none of the latter two. This one, in particular, had a rather... uncommon-but-not-unheard-of goal in mind.

This one girl wished to face and defeat a more personal opponent, though that proved to be a daunting task to accomplish.

The poor girl was currently huddled in a lone corner of the Bullhead, shaking like a leaf. She wore a black hoodie with Pumpkin Pete's mascot on the front (which hugged her impressive bust), a blue skirt that hovered just above the knees (showing the sweet tone of her legs), and black trainers. Her head and face were hidden inside the hood, which she gripped and pulled downward with both hands, still shaking like a screen door in a hurricane. At her side was an arming sword inside a sheath of white and gold.

"Hey there, you okay?" asked the voice of another female, to which the shaking girl winced. She wished she didn't have this damnable fear, maybe she could make more friends, but nope. Life has this hilarious habit of punching you in the face, pushing you to the ground, and kicking you while your down. Being the honest person she was, the fearful girl shook her head in response, not trusting her own words at the moment (just to add salt to the wound). The blonde female that asked frowned at the response.

Yang Xiao Long, whenever she asked that question, usually got an 'I'm fine,' or 'I'll be okay.' But this girl had actually said (gestured, really) that she was, in fact, not okay at all.

"Motion sickness?" Yang guessed, to which the girl shook her head again. Was she afraid of something on the ship? Yang looked around only to see other students. Was their someone on the ship that she was afraid of? She was pulled from her thoughts when the Bullhead finally landed, the doors opening and the students exited the room. Yang looked at the girl in the corner with a worried expression before catching up with someone who called out her name. After Yang left, a woman in a business suit and a unique cape approached the Bullhead, checking for anyone else that needed to exit the Bullhead. Professor Glynda Goodwitch's emerald eyes landed on the hooded girl in the corner, whose shaking lessened to an acceptable degree.

Worry crossed Glynda's face as she witnessed the scared student, "Excuse me, miss, but are you well?"

Noting that in the Bullhead lay silence, other than Glynda's question, the hooded girl released the grip on her hood and looked up.

Glynda was surprised to see that the girl under the hood had a very beautiful face, with glowing sapphire eyes that looked like they'd seen a ghost, but screamed innocence. Her sun-kissed hair was braided as it spilled from the side of her hoodie.

"A-Auntie Glynda?" the girl asked, much to Glynda's shock.

Glynda's eyes widened, "June bug?!"

"Auntie!" June exclaimed as she leaped up to embrace Glynda. Still surprised that her niece of all people was on a public Bullhead, she unconsciously hugged June in return. Indeed, Glynda was the sister of June's mother and "June bug" was indeed a cute nickname that only Glynda called her, but never in a public setting.

"June bug, what are you doing on a public Bullhead?" Glynda asked.

"W-Well, they only had four private jets and they were all taken," June replied.

Glynda scowled, "And one of them was supposed to be reserved for you and you alone because of your... situation," Glynda said uneasily, though June nodded in understanding. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"N-No, it's... okay," June promised. "Just another step in overcoming my fear."

Glynda smiled fondly at her little June bug. June Arc was the kind of girl who was always trying to improve. She aced Beacon's written examination with the highest score in Beacon's history and Glynda knew for a fact that Jane would easily ace the combat examination. Glynda, as well as June's mother and father, trained her after all.

Of course, social anxiety disorder was something that would take time to overcome. June's anxiety was something that was inherited by her father, though that wasn't too surprising considering it has been proven multiple times that females were more likely than males to be born with social anxiety inherited by a parent. Though what really worried them was the fact that it was far more severe than her father's.

"Alright, are you sure you wish to go to the auditorium alone?" Glynda asked. "I mean, you were huddled in the corner shaking like a leaf."

June shook her head, "Y-Yes, I... I only just started," June replied. "No one can expect me to overcome my anxiety in an instant."

Glynda nodded. It was true that a lot of things, especially those of an emotional and mental persuasion, needed a lot of time to develop or to be conquered.

"Alright, I trust you," Glynda said. "But if there is anything that you need at all, please, do not hesitate to voice your concerns."

June nodded, determination brimming from her, "Right."

* * *

This was going terribly.

June didn't have a solitary clue where the auditorium was, along with having accidentally tripped into someone's luggage.

"Excuse me!" sounded the voice of what June could only describe as the shrill of a spoiled Nevermore. "Can you watch where you're going?!"

June, on her part, was already scared. Curse her social anxiety for being as nervous as she was.

"I-I-I'm so sorry!" June stuttered pitifully. Jane looked down at the snow-themed girl's luggage in guilt, only for her eyes to turn into pinpricks at what she saw.

She had just angered a Schnee. She knew that snowflake-esque emblem anywhere.

Already, as she was breaking down, several rather absurd scenarios swam through Jane's paranoid mind, each of them was a punishment given by the girl in front of her. One being herself bound by her wrists and stuck in a rather... provocative position as the Schnee punished her with a riding crop eerily similar to Auntie's.

Absurd indeed.

"You need to watch where you're going! These cases carry several amounts of Dust and any one of them could've gone off!" the Schnee exclaimed.

The Schnee kept all her ranting in a rather harsh manner than what was really necessary. How long she ranted, June had no idea.

"Hey, princess!" yelled a voice, coming into June's defense. "She said she was sorry!"

June looked up to see a girl a head shorter than Jane was. Her hair was black with red-dripped bangs, the oddest and yet beautiful silver eyes, as well as wearing a prominent red cape.

"It's 'heiress,' actually," another, more neutral tone said. "She is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

June turned around to see a girl at least as tall as June was. She had long, pitch black hair with a bow, and mysterious amber eyes.

This was all happening so fast to the point where June barely heard anything and resorted to pulling up her hoodie, gripping at the thick and comforting fabric as hard as she could, and hiding in the sanctuary of her Pumpkin Pete's hoodie. June always wore this hoodie in any setting, even in her sleep, since it was a gift from her seven sisters which was supposed to help with her anxiety.

"Finally, some recognition," Weiss said pompously, though that pride of hers was short lived.

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners," the black-haired girl said in indifference.

"What?!" Weiss shrieked in the typical rich girl shrill. "How dare you?!"

The yelling got to the point where June had dropped to the ground, knees close to her body, and her hood over her head, hoping the yelling would stop sooner rather than later. Her heart raced in her chest, her body trembling while the yelling seemed to have died down.

Remember, 'very severe case of social anxiety disorder.'

Weiss, having had enough of the constant bickering, stormed off in a huff. The black-haired girl also left, having said her piece, which left June and the red-cloaked individual.

"Hey... are you okay?" the girl asked Jane. "I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose."

June let her hood slip from her head as she looked at Ruby, who was giving June a hand. June's eyes shined with hope as she smiled slightly. Gratefully grasping the hand and pulling up, June smiled for the kindness of Ruby.

"I-I'm June, June Arc."

Ruby, for her part, did her best to hide the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest. June's stunning beauty aside, her voice was absolutely dazzling!

"You are a bit young to attend Beacon, are you not?" June asked curiously but winced when she thought that was probably not something to ask.

Ruby rubbed the back of her head bashfully, "Yeah, I jumped two years."

"Really? Then you must be a prodigy!" June complimented.

"Y-Yeah, that's what my sister said," Ruby said, though she appreciated June's kind words. "So... I don't mean to offend but... why were you on the ground like that?"

June frowned, "I-I would prefer not to get into that."

"O-Okay," Ruby said. Quick to stave off the thick silence that had reigned after the hesitant question, she gently pulled out her weapon. "So... I got this."

Wincing from the appearance of the over-glorified gardening tool, June smiled a bit, "A scythe?"

Ruby beamed, "Yup, it's also a customize-able high-impact sniper rifle, my baby, Crescent Rose," Ruby said.

"It's also a gun?"

"It's also a gun," Ruby confirmed, cocking the gun. "So what about you, what's your weapon?"

June smiled as she unsheathed Crocea Mors from its sheath. The sheath expanded into a large round shield. The Arc crescents shined in their golden glory under the sun's great rays. Ruby gazed upon Crocea Mors magnificence. While being a classic (and Ruby knew people barely appreciated the classics anymore due to their simplicity), this had to be the most well-made, high-quality weapon she had ever lay eyes on. The sword itself had a white blade that rested upon a golden hilt. June gripped a blue-wrapped handle with a bronze diamond-shaped pommel. A very conventional weapon and the shield looked sturdy enough to tank a blow from a Deathstalker. There were no Dust compartments and barely any mechanical shifting pieces on it so June didn't have to deal with the hassle of having to clean each individual part every month.

"I have Crocea Mors," June said reverently. "It doesn't have fancy transformations but it's still a reliable weapon."

"Wow! That's sweet!" Ruby yelled in praise. "Who taught you?"

"My parents taught me how to use Crocea Mors while Glynda Goodwitch taught me how to use my Semblance effectively."

Ruby froze in place after hearing the name of the scary office lady/Huntress that interrogated her after the incident with Roman Torchwick. Now that she thought about it, Ruby had seen Goodwitch use that riding crop of hers to summon a thunderstorm, as well as create an ice spike rain. Maybe June could do the same thing?

Glynda Goodwitch's reputation was legendary amongst Hunters and Huntresses, the veterans, and even the retired. Glynda was most well known for her constant seriousness and vigilance, as well as her prowess and skill. Especially with a riding crop of all things.

"Trained by Glynda Goodwitch herself," Ruby said in reverence. Training must have been hellish. "So what is your Semblance?"

"My Semblance is Spatial Gate," June replied, remembering when June accidentally walked in on one of her sisters in the shower when June was pacing in her room. June demonstrated by opening a red ring and a blue ring in mid air. June then dropped an old coin inside the two overlapping rings, letting the coin go through the portals continuously before June caught the coin in between her index and middle fingers.

"That's so amazing!" Ruby exclaimed. "You can open portals to different places?"

"Yep, it took me only a month to fully master it, too," June said. "Mom and Dad always said I was a fast learner."

Ruby smiled, realizing that she most likely found a friend (and one that as awkward as herself) but froze when she noticed something. "Hey, do you know where the auditorium is?"

June froze as well, "No, do you?" June asked, almost desperately.

"Crap!" both girls exclaimed before sprinting towards Beacon's general direction.

* * *

Both June and Ruby, with the help of a professor with green hair and glasses, made it to the auditorium on time.

"Ruby! I saved you a spot!" yelled the blonde from the Bullhead.

"Coming, Yang! I'll see you later, okay?" Ruby asked.

June nodded, turning around and decided to blend into the crowd. Which apparently didn't work.

"June!" yelled a very familiar voice that Jane both loved and missed dearly. June turned around to see a girl of smaller stature, ginger hair, and turquoise eyes that were filled to the brim with life and mirth tackle June, though June managed to keep her balance.

"Nora," June said, to which Nora Valkyrie's grin spread.

"I didn't know you were coming to Beacon!" Nora said. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

June giggled, "In my defense, I didn't know you were coming to Beacon either," June replied.

"Then that makes three of us," said the mature and calm voice of a taller male with long black hair that was tied to a ponytail, with a stripe of magenta, and magenta-colored eyes. His smile was calmer than Nora's, but it still holds the same mirth.

"Ren, it's so good to see both you and Nora again," June said. Lie Ren's smile widened a bit before embracing Jane.

"Oh, what about me?" asked the voice of another female. This one had blood red hair, emerald eyes, and wore a set of light bronze armor.

"Pyrrha!" June said in surprise. "I thought you would be attending Haven Academy."

"That was what my sponsor wanted, but I made my choice final," Pyrrha Nikos replied, wincing from how horrid the aftermath of her new reputation was. So many fan girls wanting to be associated with a celebrity and men wanting to date one. June Arc was neither.

They were interrupted from their friendly conversation when Headmaster Ozpin had walked on stage, clearing his throat, "Welcome, potential students of Beacon Academy. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the innocent," Ozpin announced, which several students nodded in agreement. "But I look amongst you... and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

After Ozpin finished his speech, Glynda took the stage, "Students are to head to the ballroom for sleeping arrangements."

Glynda looked amongst the crowd and saw the unmistakable visage of June Arc, her little June bug, genuinely smiling despite being in a large crowded area, as well the slight shaking of the knees, but Glynda knew that with both time and determination, June would finally conquer her anxiety. Smiling for the briefest of seconds, Glynda directed the students to the ballroom.

* * *

Many awe-stricken eyes in the ballroom stared as June Arc sat in a far corner of the ballroom, twirling a finger around a small spoon, swiveling it inside a teacup while June read a book that contained a collection of poems and writings by William Lake. With the moonlight bathing her form, the window was left open and her hair let loose, to which her blonde locks flickered and waved in the wind like fire. June Arc looked nothing short of divine.

"Ruby, I think I'm in love," Yang said, eyes unblinking as she drank in June's unnatural beauty.

For once, it was Ruby's turn to hold the gun by the handle, "Huh, I didn't take you for the kind of girl to swing for the other team," Ruby said with a small grin. "Do you pitch or catch?"

Yang rolled her eyes, unfazed by Ruby's attempt at being the tease, "I said that as a figure of speech, Ruby," Yang replied. "And even if I swung that way, I would be a pitcher."

June, for her part, didn't notice the stares, too immersed in her book. June was an avid reader and read more than she did spending her time on social media, considering she would usually avoid any sort of social interaction like the plague. That couldn't be helped when June's social anxiety still haunted her, though she still wished to overcome it. It will take time, but she will lose her anxiety, eventually.

June noticed the slight commotion of Ruby, the blonde girl, and the black-haired girl from before. June continued to watch their interactions before the mean Schnee girl berated them. June thought nothing of it and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

"Locker six six six... six six six..." June muttered as she walked throughout the halls of Beacon Academy, she still found it odd that her locker number was 666, the Devil's number. "Who needs this many lockers?"

June looked around until she noticed Pyrrha... who was being spoken to by the Schnee girl.

Approaching in a rather nervous manner, she tapped on Pyrrha's shoulder, "Hey Pyrrha."

Pyrrha turned around, smiling towards June while Weiss looked annoyed at the sudden appearance, "Hey Pyrrha, do you want to be on the same team?" June asked.

"That would be grand," Pyrrha said. "Though I think the process is random, so we'll have to be careful."

"Oh, I didn't know that," June said.

"Excuse me!" Weiss exclaimed with a typical rich girl shrill. "June, was it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!"

"Umm, y-yes?" June replied, afraid all of a sudden. Weiss either didn't acknowledge that or she ignored June entirely.

"She's Pyrrha Nikos!"

"I-I know that," June replied. Again, she was ignored.

"She graduated top of her class at Sanctum!"

"I was home trained."

"She won the Mistral Regional Championship three times in a row, a new record!"

"I-I understand that b-but why does that matter here?"

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's cereal box!" Weiss snapped, hoping this would at the very least make this foolish girl apologize.

"I-I don't eat that sort of cereal, it's rather disgusting," June replied.

"So knowing all of that, what makes you think you have any right to address her so familiarly?" Weiss asked, who looked like she was close to spontaneously combusting.

"Because June is a very good friend of mine," Pyrrha said, irritated at the Schnee heiress' rudeness towards one of her closest and exceedingly scarce amount of friends. Pyrrha was starting to see why her father was an underground Huntsman. "We've known each other for two years."

Pyrrha placed emphasis on her point by wrapping an arm around June's shoulders and bringing her close, to which June's cheeks turned as red as Pyrrha's hair at the closeness. Weiss, on her part, was flabbergasted and a bit ashamed. She had been cowing a close friend of _the_ Pyrrha Nikos. Before Weiss could apologize in order to save face, the loudspeaker chimed for the students' attention.

"All students, you have exactly twenty-five minutes before initiation begins. I suggest you move swiftly."

"Crap!" June exclaimed before rushing towards her locker while Pyrrha and Weiss did the same.

* * *

June found herself on a panel that was last in a line of other panels. The Headmaster and Auntie Glynda were by the side.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors and protectors of the world and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin made known.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Glynda said. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."

June heard Ruby groaning in despair.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with who you can work well with," Ozpin said. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years," Ozpin continued.

"What!?" June heard Ruby cry out in shock.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die," Ozpin added on. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics.

"Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff," Ozpin continued. "You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and we shall grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Ozpin scanned the line and saw no hands had been raised, 'Thank gods.'

Soon the panels started firing everyone into the Emerald Forest, each of which gave their own battle cry. Ruby was last to go before June. June was the only one left to be launched. June looked at Glynda with a warm smile and a wave of her hand. Glynda returned the smile with her own.

"Hello, June, I look forward to seeing your progress," Glynda said to June with her rare smile. "Do your best."

"I will," June said before she was launched with a loud _twang!_

Glynda noticed Ozpin looking at her with curiosity.

"Glynda, do you know Miss Arc?" Ozpin asked of his assistant, though he already knew the answer, he wanted confirmation. He took a sip from his mug.

"Yes, June Arc is my niece," Glynda answered with a rare smile before turning her attention to June as she fell deep within the Emerald Forest. "But this does not mean she will receive any sort of preferential treatment, as June herself actually asked of me."

Ozpin only nodded. He knew about June Arc's anxiety and he himself had promised to her parents that not only would he mold her into a good Huntress, but he would also help with that anxiety in any way he could.

Still, he didn't anticipate any relation between her and his most trusted deputy.

Small world, wasn't it?

* * *

The wind breezed past June's ears as she glided over the Emerald Forest. One by one she witnessed her fellow freshmen dipping below the forest canopy as she flew past them.

June looked down to see her fast approach towards earth and flipped once. June opened a red portal in front of her while she opened a blue portal, which lay parallel with a nearby branch. June had learned how to cope with the sudden changes in gravity when it came to the use of her unique Semblance. June flew headfirst through the red portal and flew out of the blue portal. After that, June landed gracefully on the branch next to the blue portal. Finally having reached solid ground, June closed both portals and began her trek within the forest, searching for a partner, hopefully, someone she knew.

As June was walking, a pack of Beowolves emerged from the foliage, growling menacingly at her.

June focused her Aura and brandished Crocea Mors, to which a larger red portal consumed the Beowolves. June watched as she opened a blue portal a certain distance in the air with the pack of Beowolves falling helplessly. June continued walking, believing she had eliminated the only Grimm in the immediate vicinity, only to be confronted by three Ursa.

Expertly dodging swipes from the Ursa, June kicked the first Ursa and trapped it to a tree by placing her foot on its neck. June threw a barrage of slashes and sliced off the second Ursa's heads with Crocea Mors before decapitating the one trapped on the tree with her shield. The third one rushed, but was stopped in its tracks by a red and bronze javelin. June recognized that weapon.

"Pyrrha?" Jane asked.

"June," Pyrrha said as she jumped from the Grimm's bodies and retrieved her javelin via her Semblance, Polarity. "I guess this means we're partners for the next four years?"

"Yeah, it's nice that I'm paired with someone I actually know," June said thankfully. A moment later, several black masses harshly hit the ground with the monsters' black blood splattering the trees.

* * *

Glynda and even Ozpin flinched as the Beowolves hit the ground.

"I almost feel sorry for them," Glynda said.

Ozpin, on the other hand, sipped his hot cocoa before turning the Glynda, "That is quite a Semblance Miss Arc has, but it is not the first time I have seen something like it," Ozpin said.

Glynda frowned, "Why bring up Raven of all people?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin looked over the footage of June creating the portals, "I remember going over the file when Miss Arc performed a Semblance Apprehension Test," Ozpin said. "While both Miss Arc and Raven Branwen create openings in space that allows instantaneous travelling between dimensions, the way those openings work is different from each other.

"Raven Branwen's portals can only open to those that she has 'bonded' with," Ozpin explained. "Other than that, anyone may access it, she can hold it as long as she likes, and there is no limit in distance.

"Miss Arc, on the other hand, her portals can expand in size, she can open more than two of them at a time, and can be projected at any angle," Ozpin continued. "She had to practice so she can get used to the sudden changes in gravity, but it still works. That and her portals can only be opened within a one hundred meter radius from herself."

Glynda wasn't surprised that Ozpin knew about that, "Alright, but why bring them up?"

Ozpin shrugged, "I am merely drawing comparisons between two similar Semblances," Ozpin said. "I find it quite fun."

Glynda sighed. Fun was something that Huntsmen, generals, and teachers rarely have when concerning their jobs.

Stupid paperwork...

* * *

June and Pyrrha stopped at the mouth of a cave, which bore markings of several characters with spears in the midst of batter with a giant scorpion. The cliff face showed lots of cracks and fractures.

"Deathstalker nest," June said nervously. "I think we should avoid that at all cost."

"Indeed," Pyrrha said in agreement. "We're both strong, but it would be better to conserve our strength for anything worst."

June nodded, eyeing the cave nervously before hearing gunfire in the distance.

"It would seem our comrades have encountered the enemy," Pyrrha noted. "Let us head further north and claim the relics as fast as possible.

June nodded again, this time waving a hand in front of them. June closed her eyes and envisioned Ren and Nora so as to join them. A red portal opened, revealing a ruin with several chess pieces on the other side, as well as several people that they recognized. Entering the portal, both June and Pyrrha were relieved to see both Ren and Nora in their serene/enthusiastic glory.

"Whoa!" said Yang. "Where did you two come from?"

"Well, you see-" June didn't finish her sentence when she heard several trees parting as an Ursa Major came into view, but fell to the ground with a _thump_. After that, Nora, carrying her trusty hammer Magnhild, slid off her victim's back, pouting.

"Aw!" Nora Valkyrie moaned. "It's broken."

Not too long after Nora's entrance came a boy with long, black hair and magenta eyes, who was panting from exhaustion.

"Please, never do that again," Lie Ren pleaded.

The monochrome girl gave pause as she processed the situation, "Did that girl just ride an Ursa?"

They were cut off from their thoughts when they heard a cry from above.

June looked up to see a dark figure wearing a long red cloak falling to the ground at a rapid rate, 'That's Ruby!' June realized.

Focusing, June created a blue portal facing herself and a red one just underneath Ruby. June let out her arms to prepare herself for the inevitable impact. Everyone there watched in amazement as Ruby was consumed by the red portal. June looked towards the blue portal to see Ruby suddenly growing closer to her at a very fast rate. With a dull thud and a thump, both Ruby and June were on the ground with June keeping her arms around Ruby.

"June!" Ruby exclaimed. Both Ruby and June promptly rose from from the ground. Looking at the others, June saw both the blonde girl and the monochrome girl from earlier looking at her in surprise.

"I'm June Arc, my Semblance is Spatial Gate," June said quickly. "I can create portals at any angle within a hundred meter radius from myself."

"That's quite the Semblance," the monochrome girl complimented. "I'm Blake Belladonna, this is my partner Yang."

"Good to meet you, Blake!" June replied anxiously. "And you too, Yang!"

"Yeah, good to meet you too," Yang greeted with a happy grin.

All of them stopped when they heard another cry from above.

"How could you leave me?!" shouted Weiss from above. They all looked up to see her clinging to the claws of a giant raven with a bone mask and two fingers protruding from each wing. A Nevermore.

"I said jump," said Ruby.

"She's gonna fall," reminded Blake.

"She'll be fine," replied Ruby.

"She's falling," deadpanned Ren.

Seeing this as a chance to make amends for her mistake yesterday, June created another red portal under Weiss as she fell. June, as well as the others, looked at the blue portal in front of June as Weiss flew into June's arms. Nearly losing her air again from the impact, June fell backwards onto the ground while Weiss was still shaking. Weiss looked up, feeling a very strange and rather sudden change in gravity, only to promptly stand up. She patted herself off in her rather poor attempt at keeping the dignified look.

Before anyone in the group of eight could say anything, a large scorpion-esque creature with a bone mask and a glowing amber stinger tore up trees and other foliage in its wake. A Deathstalker. Perhaps the commotion from the students woke it up?

"Great, the gang's all here!" Yang exclaimed. "Now we can die together!"

Ruby suddenly charged in, "Not if I can help it!" she cried.

Ruby was approaching the Deathstalker at a rapid pace before a red portal opened, revealing June on the other side. Ruby crashed into her, having too much velocity from her Semblance, Speed, in order to stop or change direction.

_'I really need to stop doing this to myself,'_ June mentally groaned as she caught Ruby. "There's no point in fighting right now. Your objective is right in front of you. There are two large Grimm, and you're about to charge into one of them without any clear communication."

Ruby nodded as she understood what she was about to do just then.

Either way, they had an objective to fulfill. All they needed was the relics and they could leave.

...

If only the arachnid and the avian would stay out of their way!

* * *

Ozpin nodded in approval, complimenting their skill in the fight against the two giant Grimm. The teamwork between June Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren was absolutely impeccable. It amazed Ozpin to such an extent, a grin stretched on his face, surprising his deputy.

"Ozpin?"

This was precisely what Ozpin was looking for in Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training.

Ozpin didn't answer his deputy, but still...

How interesting.

* * *

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin announced. "You four collected the White Knight pieces. You will henceforth be known as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose."

While June and her friends applauded Ruby's promotion, they noted that Weiss didn't take it all that well.

"June Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren," Ozpin announced. "You four collected the White Rook pieces. You will henceforth be known as Team JNPR. Led by... June Arc."

June reeled in shock while Nora bear hugged her, squealing in joy while Pyrrha and Ren smiled her way. Her?! A leader?!

"Congratulations, Miss Arc," Ozpin complimented with a knowing grin. June awkwardly grinned back, now realizing that this was supposed to help with her anxiety. Auntie Glynda also flashed a very rare smile, knowing this as well.

'I believe this will be a very interesting year,' Ozpin thought to himself.

* * *

**My own Fem!Jaune story. Hope you like it. Back then when Iridescent was first created, I wrote the name Jane, but I decided upon using June since not only did I get to give her a cute nickname, it pertained to Monty Oum's color rule, since the colors of June are light blue and white. ****Also, William Lake is the Remnant equivalent of William Blake.**

**I also want to clarify that June did not experience a traumatic event, but instead inherited it from her father. The study saying that females are more likely to inherit SAD than males is actually true in real life. **


	2. First Impressions Are (Not) Everything

One of the things that June was known for, in her family and circle of friends, was that June was a cuddler.

Pyrrha once learned this from experience. It was during a camping trip when they were young, with June somehow sneaking into her sleeping bag in the dead of night because of night terrors.

So it was no surprise that June had decided to completely abandon her own bed in favor of being in Pyrrha's warm embrace. June would usually stay like that until somewhere around nine a.m. before, with much difficulty, waking up.

Sadly, however, June would have to rise early in the morning for classes. It was times like the morning where she wished she had Nora's boundless energy and enthusiasm.

"Good morning, good morning, good mooorning!" Nora sang. "Time to rise and shine!"

June groaned from Nora's singing, pulling herself up from her bed. The covers slipped off of June as she trudged off into the bathroom for a shower, revealing June to be in nothing but her undergarments and hoodie. Exactly ten seconds after the door had closed, there was a sound of running water.

"Alright, so while we wait for June, I've gotten my hands on the syllabus and the schedule for today," Ren said, handing out two sheets of paper each to Pyrrha and Nora while holding onto another pair for June. "In addition, we will be learning about the use of mobile lockers, leader and team exercises, as well as emergency drills for today."

Nora and Pyrrha nodded while June had exited the bathroom, refreshed and fully awake. Ren handed the syllabus and schedule to June, in which June placed herself onto a chair while she dried off her sun-kissed hair with a towel.

After Ren had given June a rundown on the things they would be doing today, Ren exited the room to give the ladies of Team JNPR much needed privacy. June, with some help from Pyrrha for the tie, finally put on her Beacon uniform along with the rest of her lady friends before stepping outside. Ren said a small 'thank you' before entering into the room. Pyrrha and Nora spoke about how cute June looked in her uniform, especially with the blush on her cheeks, for a minute before Ren finally exited the room. Nora gushed about how handsome Ren looked while Ren took it all in stride, being used to Nora's eccentric behavior.

They were pulled form their own antics when they heard a commotion from Team RWBY's room, something that sounded oddly similar to a jackhammer and a couple drills here and there before it all stopped.

Shaking their heads, they ventured towards their first class. Grimm Studies.

* * *

Team JNPR was the first to arrive to Professor Port's class. Peter Port was a man in early old age with gray hair and a gray mustache while being slightly overweight. He wore a double-breasted burgundy suit with gold piping and buttons. He had his pants tucked into his olive boots, which were similar in appearance and construction to cavalry boots.

Port was quite the character, his stories were something that June enjoyed in contrast to everyone else. Even Weiss and Pyrrha struggled to stay awake, in which they threw incredulous looks at June's way, wondering why on Remnant she was still awake.

June, on the other hand, began to sense the irritation rolling off of Weiss while her partner, Ruby, played around and earning a laugh or two from her sister Yang. Blake was reading a book, Ren was pretending to pay attention when he was actually asleep (smart man), and Nora had just given up entirely and fell right to sleep.

June was baffled at the fact that people couldn't stay awake during Peter's stories. If one managed to read between the lines, you can find very, very useful information on the Grimm, which was actually a lesson by itself. For the first year class, it was Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusks, Creeps, and Nevermores. The second years were the ones that learned about Deathstalkers, Beringals, Goliaths, and King Taijitu.

June shuddered at the thought of what kind of Grimm the third and fourth years learned.

Still, Weiss' growing irritation and anger with her leader was starting to permeate the room, June felt fear rise in her chest, gripping her heart in a vice. As Peter finished up his story Weiss looked ready to explode after he named the qualities of a true Huntsman and each time, Ruby's overall goofiness was increasing, much to her snowy partner's ire and to the amusement of Nora, Yang, and Blake (who simply grinned).

June had a feeling that the tension between Weiss and Ruby would escalate if this continued, however, June found an opportunity to potentially defuse it when Peter called out.

"Now, which one of you young upstarts believes they have what it takes to defeat our guest here today?" Peter asked.

In an instant, without even thinking, June's hand shot up, "I DO SIR!"

June regretted her decision instantaneously. All eyes in the class were now on her with Weiss sending her a withering glare, considering she wanted to prove herself to be more capable than Ruby and was about half way from shooting up from her seat in order to do so. June felt heat rise in her face while her palms twitched, in fact, it looked like June was about to collapse from all the attention directed at her. Peter looked at June in shock, not expecting his most socially anxious student to call out so quickly. Of course, Peter and the rest of the faculty had been informed by Glynda that her niece had a severe case of social anxiety disorder and would tend to avoid social interactions, as well as facing crowds, as much as humanly possible.

Perhaps she was forcing herself to face her fear?

Nonetheless, Peter respected his student's decision, and he coughed in his gloved fist, "A-Are you sure, Miss Arc?" Peter asked.

"Y-Yes... I'm sure..." June replied, her face turning more and more red from the amount of eyes practically burning smoldering holes through her head. The glare that Weiss was giving her wasn't helping while the other members of Team RWBY and June's own team gave her encouraging smiles.

"Well, if you are so sure then please go retrieve your gear and be ready to face your opponent!" Peter said jovially, the first step to overcome her anxiety.

* * *

June sat in the lockers, strapping on her armor. She still couldn't believe she had just done that in front of Oum and everybody, but June was slightly happy for it. As long as Ruby didn't receive the blast end of Weiss' immensely harsh criticism (June was putting that quite lightly) and perfectionist attitude then she can live with it.

June stared at Crocea Mors lovingly. The only time she had any real confidence was in combat, fighting against the creatures of Grimm, monsters that never discriminated and only had one thing on their minds.

Kill.

It was probably the only thing she liked about the Grimm. The non-discrimination part, not the killing part.

The Grimm have been locked in an existential war with Humanity for as long as can be remembered, seeking to destroy them and all of their creations. At first, it seemed as though they would succeed, as Humans did not have the strength to fight them before. However, Humans discovered the power of Dust and with it, the Grimm were driven back. During this time, Humans enjoyed a time of peace and soon formed their own Kingdoms, which grew to survive and prosper. However, this time would not last indefinitely.

Humans, on the other hand, are known for being intelligent, resourceful and strong, especially when united against a common threat. These traits have allowed them to survive in a hostile world. However, their tendency to fight among themselves when divided represents a serious weakness. In contrast, in society today, Humans have a higher social standing than the Faunus, who continue to face discrimination from Humans. Some Human-controlled corporations, such as the Schnee Dust Company, use Faunus labor in conditions that are "controversial," as Blake had mentioned the day before. These racial tensions are a common thread throughout Faunus and Human history.

Little is known about the origin of the Faunus, and scientists still currently struggle to discover or understand anything about them. Humans' discrimination toward Faunus began early, due to how startling Humans found it that Faunus looked and acted like them but had animalistic features that were sometimes frightening, such as fangs, horns, or claws. This discrimination only grew through rumors and stories that spread fear and suspicion. It was not uncommon for Humans to chase Faunus out of their villages or even to hunt them down and kill them.

At some point in history, a village in Sanus fell under attack from the Grimm, and its survival was thanks solely to the fact that Humans and Faunus worked together to defeat the invading Grimm. After this event, Humans grew to realize that Faunus were not that different from them after all. However, rather than treating them equally, Humans used the Faunus' differences from them to exploit and continue to discriminate against them.

June still remembered her mother calling the Schnees, "cruel, arrogant, gold-digging mafia-style criminal fuck faces that hid behind corporate laws in order to exploit innocent Faunus."

Colorful choice of words aside, June couldn't afford to dwell on it. After all, she had her own team to represent and hopefully Ruby can sort things out.

June sheathed Crocea Mors and headed back into Peter's classroom.

* * *

Heading inside, June found herself in front of a metal cage and she found her opponent thrashing harder than any metal band she knew. Of course, one interesting note is that Grimm usually die off when in captivity if they cannot kill their captors or escape first, implying that they cannot be kept alive by normal means. If the theory of Grimm not needing to feed is true, it may be possible that they survive on negative emotions or the act of killing in itself.

No June! No distractions!

June unsheathed Crocea Mors and deployed her hoplite shield from its sheath form. The Arc crest shone in all of its glory while Crocea Mors' blade flashed under the florescent lighting.

Peter readied his blunder axe near the lock on the Grimm's cage, "Are you ready, Miss Arc?" Peter asked.

June readied her shield in front of her while her sword was raised parallel to her gaze towards the cage, "I'm ready," June said with a sudden confidence that surprised them.

Peter nodded, "FIGHT!" Peter bellowed before slamming the blade of his weapon onto the lock, shattering it.

_Waste of a good lock, don't you think?_

With the doors opening wide open, a Boarbatusk charged forward in a blind rage, hoping to kill the one responsible for its capture. Seeing the shining beacon of white steel and blonde hair in front of it, it charged.

Only for a blue portal to open in front of it. The Boarbatusk had gathered too much speed to stop its velocity and was promptly consumed by the portal.

Everyone had turned to June while she immediately sheathed Crocea Mors.

When that happened, everyone else had turned to a nearby window when they saw the Boarbatusk from before plummet right near it with a resounding squeal. One student opened the window and watched its descent until...

_Smack!_

Everyone sans June flinched at the sound of flesh and bone painfully colliding with stone while the student who had watched the Boarbatusk on its way down grimaced and hurriedly shut the window.

"Yeah, it's dead."

Everyone continued to stare at June while Peter coughed in his glove.

"Miss Arc, what... did you do?" Peter asked, though he most likely already knew the answer.

June took a calming breath before answering, "If it is within our capabilities, then we must eliminate our targets as quickly and as efficiently as possible," June had answered without a single stutter. "To drag out a fight in order to look cool is most unwise and you will find yourself with more opposition than you bargained for."

"R-Right, and your Semblance allowed you to make a sort of portal so that the beast would end up killing itself in an instant?" Peter asked.

"Yes, Professor," June answered.

"Well... right! Well done! Splendid!" Peter praised, causing June's cheeks to glow a honeysuckle red. "It seems we are in the presence of a true Huntress in training! I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and stay vigilant! Class dismissed!"

Weiss had continued to glare daggers at both June and Ruby before storming off. June was a tad concerned, but it wasn't exactly her business. Hopefully Ruby will get through to her.

"Professor Port was right, that was a grand performance," a smiling Pyrrha praised, adding more to June's cute blush.

"You did well," Ren said with a smile, ever the man of few words.

June smiled bashfully, "T-Thanks."

Still, June couldn't help but worry for Ruby and Weiss. It made her wonder what kind of expectations she had about Beacon, though June knew that Weiss was in for a rude awakening if she thought Beacon was about strict systems and guidelines when, in reality from what Auntie Glynda told her, they had very freestyle methods of teaching and some constant changes in schedules due to trips. It was in the second semester when they would be taking on missions, albeit the easy ones, that the schedules would change.

Either way, June just hoped that things would work out in the end.


End file.
